Systems and methods for automatically programming pagers
AssigneeHME Wireless, Inc.
InventorSalvatore Veni, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for addressing pagers are described. The pagers are reprogrammable and can be assigned identifiers as required. Pagers may be automatically assigned one of a plurality of identifiers. Thereafter, the assigned identifier may form the basis of a unique network address that allows the pagers to communicate wirelessly with a network in order to receive information commands and pages. The assigned identifier is maintained on the pager and can be presented on a display for identification of the pager. The assigned identifier can be transmitted to the pager by a charging unit when the pager is connected to the charging unit and can be calculated using the location of a port at which the pager is connected to the charging unit.
Claims19
A computer-implemented method for addressing a pager, the method being implemented by a system comprising one or more processors, the method comprising:
- determining, by the one or more processors, that a pager currently assigned a first identifier should be programmed;
- receiving, at the one or more processors from a charging unit, an indication that the pager has been connected to the charging unit;
- responsive to reception of the indication of the pager being connected to the charging unit, and further responsive to the determination that the pager should be programmed, generating, by the one or more processors, a second identifier for the pager that is different from the first identifier;
- transmitting, under the control of the one or more processors, information indicating the second identifier to the pager for storage at the pager such that the second identifier replaces the first identifier in operation of the pager;
- and
- communicating, by the one or more processors, wirelessly with the pager by causing information to be wirelessly transmitted to a first unique network address that corresponds to the second identifier, the first unique network address being different than a second network address that corresponds to the first identifier.
A computer-implemented method for addressing a plurality of pagers, the method being implemented in a system comprising one or more processors, the method:
- receiving an indication of insertion of a plurality of pagers into a corresponding plurality of slots of a charging system, wherein the plurality of pagers includes a first pager inserted into a first slot and a second pager inserted into a second slot, and wherein prior to insertion of the plurality of pagers into the plurality of slots the first pager communicated with a network through a first unique address and the second pager communicated with the network through a second unique address;
- responsive to reception of the indication, assigning separate unique addresses to the individual pagers such that (i) the first pager is assigned a third unique address different from the first unique address, the third unique address corresponding to an identification of the charging system and the first slot, and (ii) the second pager is assigned a fourth unique address that is different from the second unique address, the fourth unique address corresponding to the identification of the charging system and the second slot;
- transmitting information to the first pager such that during subsequent operation of the first pager, the first pager will communicate with the network through the third unique address;
- and
- transmitting information to the second pager such that during subsequent operation of the second pager, the second pager will communicate with the network through the fourth unique address.
A pager management system, comprising:
- a charger having ports, the individual ports being configured to receive a programmable pager, the ports comprising a first port and a second port;
- a wireless transmitter;
- a plurality of pagers, the individual pagers being configured to communicate with a wireless network through separate, unique addresses such that the plurality of pagers comprise a first pager configured to communicate with the wireless network through a first unique address and a second pager configured to communicate with the wireless network through a second unique address;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- communicate with the wireless network via the wireless transmitter;
- to determine if the plurality of pagers have been inserted into the ports of the charger;
- to assign, responsive to a determination that the pagers have been inserted into the ports, unique addresses to individual ones of the plurality of pagers such that the assigned individual unique addresses corresponds to the ports into which the pagers are installed wherein this assignment, responsive to the first pager being installed in the first port and the second pager being installed in the first port, results in a third unique address being assigned to the first pager and a fourth unique identifier being assigned to the second pager;
- wherein the first pager is configured such that during operation of the first pager subsequent to assignment of the third unique address, the first pager will communicate with the network through the third unique address, and
- wherein the second pager is configured such that during operation of the second pager subsequent to assignment of the fourth unique address, the second pager will communicate with the network through the fourth unique address.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.